


Swimming + Pulmonary Oedema + CPAP

by Gretti_writes



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [13]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: CPAP, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hiding Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Pulmonary Oedema, dry drowning, reluctant patient
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29398311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gretti_writes/pseuds/Gretti_writes
Summary: Mac ignores his aching chest after jumping in to save a hostage.
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140011
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	Swimming + Pulmonary Oedema + CPAP

**Author's Note:**

> Febuwhump Day 13 Prompt - Hiding Injury
> 
> Quite like this prompt - I mean, it's so Mac!
> 
> Enjoy!

Mac curses as he jumps into the sea after one of the hostages. It always seems to be winter when he falls in a lake or has to get wet. The cold shocks the air from his lungs as he hits the water. His head is submerged and then he breaks the surface. He can hear Jack shouting from the deck, pointing in the direction of the female hostage. Mac starts swimming towards her.

Just as he reaches the woman, she swings an arm backwards, trying to keep herself afloat. Unfortunately, she catches Mac across the temple, and he goes under. Jack stands on the deck, ready to leap in if his partner doesn’t reappear quickly. Thankfully Mac’s head breaks through the water. Jack can hear the coughing and spluttering as Mac tries to breathe in fresh air.

‘Don’t hurt me, I’m one of the good guys. I’ve come to get you’, Mac explains to the woman.

‘Thank you’, she breathes as she grabs hold of him.

Mac slowly swims them back to the boat and Jack hauls the woman up onto deck before helping Mac out.

‘You alright Hoss? Looks like you are gonna have a bruise on that head of yours’.

‘Yeah, I’m ok. She was just scared. We’re out of the water now and that’s what matters’.

‘Yeah, the TAC team are aboard and getting us back to shore. Let’s see if we can find you some dry clothes or something and get you checked out’.

‘I’m fine Jack, but some dry clothes might be nice’, Mac replies, ignoring the ache in his chest.

**MacJackMacJackMacJackMacJackMacJackMacJackMacJack**

Twenty minutes later, the boat is coming alongside the jetty. After helping get the hostages safely ashore, Jack puts out his hand to help Mac. Mac swats it away as he steps onto solid ground. They couldn’t find any dry clothes, so Mac has just shed his shirt and wrapped a blanket around his top half.

They catch a lift back to the Phoenix with the TAC team and their prisoners. Mac quickly grabs a change of clothes from the locker room. His chest is still aching, but he shrugs it off. He’s just tired from swimming in freezing waters and he’s got a debrief to get to.

As Mac enters, Jack instantly studies his partner. Mac told him he was fine and didn’t require Medical, but something doesn’t sit right in Jack’s gut and he always listens to his gut. The debrief starts off like any other. About 30 minutes in, Mac is starting to fidget in his chair. Not something immediately to worry about, but usually only his hands fidget, not his whole body. Jack can see he can’t get comfortable. It also doesn’t escape his notice that Mac is stealthily rubbing at his chest every so often.

When Matty stops and Riley starts talking tech, Jack tries to get Matty’s attention. She looks at him and he flicks his eyes towards Mac, worry etched in his brow. Matty nods slightly.

‘Sorry, Riley. Just hang on a second’, Matty interrupts. ‘Mac, are you ok? You don’t look too good’.

‘Huh… I’m fine. Just tired’, Mac answers.

‘Well, I’d like Medical to take a look at you before you leave’. Mac scowls and is about to stay something in reply but Matty gets there first. ‘That’s an order, not a request’.

Mac huffs but doesn’t say anything. Riley carries on and about two hours later, they finish the debrief. Mac gets up and sways slightly, feeling a bit lightheaded. He thinks that he’s managed to hide it until he feels Jack’s hand on his elbow.

‘Come on Hoss. Medical for you’, Jack says gently, steering him out of the room and into the lift.

Mac’s chest is starting to feel tighter than it did on the boat and by the time they exit the lift and enter Medical, Mac is panting. Jack deposits him on a bed, tells him not to move and goes to find a doctor.

He returns with Dr Simpson and one of the newer nurses, Callie.

‘Hey Mac. So, post mission check-up. Anything you’re concerned about?’ Dr Simpson asks.

‘No’. Mac pants out.

‘Hoss, you sound like you’re wheezing, and I thought you were going to pass out upstairs’, Jack argues. ‘Mac rescued someone from the sea about 3 and a half hours ago’.

‘Alright, well let’s get a listen to that chest then to start with and we’ll go from there’. Dr Simpson starts to remove his stethoscope from around his neck. ‘Callie, can you get some baseline vitals?’

Callie nods and encourages Mac to swing his legs up onto the bed. Mac can already tell this is not going to be a quick visit. Dr Simpson slides his stethoscope under Mac’s shirts and instructs him to inhale and exhale as he moves it over his back.

‘Did you inhale any water Mac, when you rescued this person?’ Dr Simpson inquires.

‘Err, maybe. I’m not really sure’, Mac answers, concerned where this line of questioning is going.

Swinging his stethoscope back round his neck, Dr Simpson asks Callie for Mac’s pulse ox.

‘89%’.

‘Hmmm. Ok. I can hear crackles at the base of both your lungs and your oxygen saturation is not where it should be. I’m going to admit you and we are going to start some oxygen and get you a chest x-ray’.

‘Is that really necessary? Can we not do home treatment?’ Mac asks.

Dr Simpson smiles at Mac before answering. ‘I know you have a reputation of not wanting to be here and I would, and have, bent the rules for you in the past. However, not this time. This could end up being really serious if we don’t treat it quickly’.

Mac reluctantly nods his head and sighs when Callie hands him a gown.

‘Need a hand Hoss?’

‘No, I’ve got it. Just give me a minute’, Mac answers.

Jack follows Dr Simpson and Callie out of the room.

‘He really gonna be alright doc?’

‘You know Mac, given his symptoms now, I would have thought he might have been aware of them sooner. However, he’s here. Inhaling water into the lungs can be quite dangerous, so we’ll start him on the O2 and see what the x-ray says’.

Jack gives Mac a few more minutes and then knocks on the door.

‘Yeah, I’m good’, Mac calls.

Jack enters the room to find Mac sat on the bed fiddling with the blanket.

‘Hey’, Jack puts his hands over Mac’s. ‘I’m sure it will be fine. I’ll be right here’.

Mac nods at him and then lays back on the bed. Callie returns and gets Mac started with an oxygen mask; the technician and portable x-ray following swiftly afterwards.

Jack and Mac sit in silence waiting for the results. Mac, with his eyes closed, trying to ignore the mask over his mouth and nose.

Dr Simpson returns 15 minutes later.

‘What’s the outcome?’ Mac pants, removing his mask to speak.

‘Firstly, let’s get this back on’, Dr Simpson says as he replaces Mac’s mask. ‘The x-ray shows that you have some fluid in your lungs. Something called Pulmonary Oedema. The best treatment for this at the moment, is to maintain your oxygenation. So, I need you to leave that mask on, all of the time’.

Mac nods.

‘I’m also going to get you started on some IV meds that should help reduce the fluid. I’ll come back and check on you an hour but if you feel like you are struggling more with your breathing before that, press the call bell’.

‘Thanks Doc’, Jack says as Dr Simpson leaves the room. Once Callie has inserted the IV, Mac rolls onto his side and drifts off to sleep. Jack sits in the recliner next to his bed. The harsh breathing of his kid the only noise in the room. For Jack, the hour seems to go really slowly. He wishes that Mac had told him about his aching chest sooner. He’ll be having words about hiding injuries when Mac is recovered. Not now though, he just wants him to get better.

As promised, Dr Simpson returns with Callie after an hour. Jack can tell it isn’t good news and Callie seems to be holding a rather scary, sci-fi like mask in her hands. Dr Simpson gently shakes Mac’s shoulder to wake him up.

Mac looks exhausted. The toll on his body only now apparent.

‘Mac, your oxygen levels aren’t getting any better, so we want to try something different. It’s called CPAP, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. You may have heard of it. It uses a special oxygen mask to keep a constant level of oxygen getting into your lungs. It means you shouldn’t have to work so hard, as I can see you’re getting tired’.

Mac doesn’t say anything, just stares at Dr Simpson. The oxygen mask on his face fogging up on every exhale.

‘Mac, I am aware of your history regarding oxygen masks and I have to warn you that this might be a struggle mentally, but my only other option if your sats don’t get any better is to intubate you’.

Mac’s eyes widen as he hears that. He doesn’t want to be intubated, terrified he might not get off it. He goes to pull his mask away, but Jack grabs hold of his hands.

‘Just say it Mac, we’ll be able to hear you’, Jack reassures him.

‘I’ll try the CPAP’, Mac gets out, his chest heaving.

‘Ok’. Dr Simpson nods. ‘I’ll try and talk you through all of this as best I can. Callie is going to put this specialist mask on you now. In order for the CPAP to work properly, it needs a good seal to your skin around the edges. Therefore, it is going to feel quite tight until you get used to it’.

Jack watches as Callie removes Mac’s mask and starts fitting the new one. There are straps that go over the crown of Mac’s head and around the back. She leaves the straps on the loose side to start with.

‘Callie is now going to turn the machine on. It might feel a bit odd to start off with. You’ll feel a steady stream of air on your face. Just breathe normally’.

Mac nods hesitantly. He hears the machine get switches on and feels the air against his face. It feels like he’s walking into the wind on a blustery day. It doesn’t feel as bad as he thought it would and Mac starts to relax.

‘I’m just going to tighten the straps now’, Callie says quietly into his ear.

He nods slowly.

As she tightens the straps, the pressure from the mask on Mac’s face increases and Mac starts feeling claustrophobic. He feels like he’s back in the room with El Noche.

Jack notices Mac’s expression change and can tell he’s starting to panic. Mac tries to put his hands up to take the mask off, but Jack grabs hold of them once again.

‘Look at me. Look at me Mac’, Jack says, waiting for Mac to obey. He can see the fear in his eyes.

‘You can do this. It’s a bit like wearing a SCUBA mask and I know you have done that before. You’ve got enough air to breathe. We’re not in Mexico. You are safe. This is helping. Just relax for me. You’ve got this’. Jack carries on his soothing dialogue and watches as Mac’s eyes start to relax and his breathing regulates.

‘Good job, Hoss. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere’.

Jack keeps hold of one of Mac’s hands. Gently brushing his fingers along the back of it. Dr Simpson and Callie slip out, leaving Jack to watch over his boy.


End file.
